5 New SF Restaurants to Try in May

Pork belly with poached eggs or Peking duck?

Traditional Chinese gets a fresh new take. Hawaiian brunch is now a thing. And California cuisine adopts old-world flavors from Spain and Mexico. It’s all happening right here in the Bay, so without further ado, here’s our official list of the five places where you should be eating.

Basalt/Facebook

Basalt

Inspired by the state’s earliest settlers, the menu of California cuisine here takes on subtle nuances of Spain, Mexico and Portugal. Think grilled flatbread with pumpkin-seed spread; chorizo and clams with noodles in a spicy broth; and masa dumplings with tamarind and artichoke. Order the irresistible sweet-and-salty chicharrones with a gravity-dispensed Basalt negroni to start while you contemplate just how much of the menu you and your dinner companions can inhale.

'Aina

Poke might be having a moment, but this new Hawaiian brunch is where it’s at--and they’re serving it five days a week. Pork belly with poached eggs and kimchi, plus taro French toast with applewood-smoked bacon, macadamia nut crumble and coconut caramel should be enough of a teaser to make your mouth water. Dinner service is coming soon, but for now, guava-filled doughnuts (called malasadas) to top off the meal will do just fine. And by “fine” we mean “died and went to heaven.”

BAR SAN PANCHO

This is where you take your boyfriend to watch the NBA playoffs. He’ll order the queso-stuffed burger and a $3 can of Tecate and be in paradise. For you? Small bites--we recommend the jalapeño-popper tacos--and cocktails, like the house sangria, all from the good folks behind the beloved Tacolicious. It’s a win-win.

MISTER JIU'S

The passion project of chef Brandon Jew (Quince, Bar Agricole) has finally come to life and it’s really got people talking. The five-dish, family-style banquet menu features plates like Peking duck, uni-topped rice noodle rolls and salty daikon cakes--all modern takes on dishes Jew grew up eating. Did we mention that the cocktails make use of Chinese ingredients like jasmine tea?

WAXMAN'S

Things just got interesting in Ghirardelli Square, and thanks to chef Jonathan Waxman, it’s no longer for tourists only. The Chez Panisse alum went on to open restaurants in L.A. and NYC, but now he’s back in town and serving up good eats like baked oysters with onion confit and brown butter and a signature roast chicken with salsa verde. Dessert? Yes, please. We’ll take the cannoli with orange and butterscotch.